Persistent Weather System Brings Days of Rain to South-East Queensland

A stretch of wet weather is set to linger across south-east Queensland this week, with forecasters warning the showery pattern is unlikely to ease until the weekend.

The region has already seen significant rainfall over the Anzac Day period, particularly along the Gold Coast, where up to 100 millimetres fell in the 48 hours to Sunday morning. Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast also recorded steady falls, with some hinterland areas receiving as much as 40 millimetres. Elsewhere, conditions were largely dry, aside from scattered showers across parts of Capricornia and the Central Coast.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the unsettled conditions are being driven by an unusually persistent high-pressure system lingering over the Tasman Sea. Senior forecaster Jonathan How said the coming days would bring more of the same, with coastal communities in the south-east likely to experience ongoing showers and possible storms.

The wet weather is expected to extend north into the Wide Bay and Capricornia regions early in the week, reaching inland centres such as Emerald. Coastal areas can also expect slightly below-average temperatures as easterly winds continue to dominate.

A brief break in rainfall is possible late Tuesday into Wednesday, but the reprieve may be short-lived. Heavier falls could return later in the week, particularly on Thursday and Friday, depending on how a developing surface trough behaves.

Moderate rainfall is also forecast at times for the Wide Bay and Fraser Coast, while northern Queensland is expected to see little change. As the wet season draws to a close, conditions are gradually drying out in the north-west, though isolated showers may persist along the far northern coast.

Relief is in sight, with the slow-moving weather system forecast to shift early next week as a cold front moves through New South Wales. This should bring a return to drier westerly winds across the south-east.

In the meantime, a strong wind warning has been issued for coastal areas including Townsville, Mackay and Capricornia.

Further inland, however, the outlook remains bleak. Areas west of Brisbane, including the Darling Downs, Toowoomba and Roma, are expected to miss out on the rainfall altogether. These regions, already experiencing significant rainfall deficits after a dry summer, may need to wait longer for meaningful rain, with showers unlikely to push beyond the Great Dividing Range.